Food & Drink

Wakatake

Ten years ago, kuro tonkotsu (black pork bone) ramen burst onto the scene in Fukuoka. The color comes from ma-yu (black roasted garlic oil), a seasoning that originated in Kumamoto. This March, a new black ramen specialist joined in the fray—Wakatake. The owner, Masahito Yamada, spent years perfecting his own ma-yu. “I blend oil and six parts of garlic, each gently fried to a different degree of crispness. It takes about three days to make,” explains Yamada. In 2012, Yamada opened the now-famous Hakata Isso with his brother, but having been a black ramen fan since his days as an understudy, he always wanted to open a black ramen shop. His primary focus is freshness. He cooks the pork bone soup in a pressure cooker, only making what he needs for the day. The soup is rich, but doesn’t retain the trademark pork bone odor, and a hint of flour remains on the noodles. Both go great with Yamada’s original ma-yu, making for a deliciously unique bowl of ramen.